Roses love the Tri-Cities, take advantage of its growing climate and plant your own

Living in the Tri-Cities gives gardeners an ideal climate for growing roses.

Here, we avoid many of the diseases other areas struggle with because it is fairly dry and sunny. While growing roses is not difficult, there are a few things which are necessary for healthy productive bushes.

First, make sure you buy healthy plants. Dormant bare root plants — or plants with no growth — are widely available in early spring locally or online. It is getting a little late in the season for dormant planting but you still can plant live potted plants that are available in nurseries.

And even though you may hate reading instructions as much as I do, closely follow the ones that come with your plant. Pick a good spot with lots of sun where the rose bushes can thrive. Prepare the soil. Space them properly with the appropriate depth. Make sure your roses get adequate nutrients.

Soil testing is always a good idea, but otherwise probably a fertilizer made for roses is your best bet. Usually an application in early spring and again in mid-summer will do.

And guess what? Insects love roses as much as people do — even a little too much and can cause minor damage. Rose aphids are the most likely insect problem in this area. Although, try to avoid insecticides to preserve beneficial insects such as honeybees. A good blast of water from a hose will usually knock most of the aphids off or a light direct spray of a nontoxic insecticidal soap will kill them without wiping out the entire insect neighborhood.

When in bloom

Once your roses start blooming be sure to cut off the old blooms to encourage new growth and to control the size and shape of your bush. This “dead-heading” really is just light pruning with a dead bloom at one end. Discontinue dead-heading in late summer and fall to discourage new growth.

Once early spring hits, roses need to be heavily pruned. This is vital. Master gardeners like to prune when the forsythia (yellow flowers) blooms. This year that was the first of March. Last year, the record snowfall made it much later. Many online publications and videos show how to prune roses if you need examples.

Sight to see

If you would like to see an awesome rose garden, visit the master gardener demonstration garden which is next to the Mid-Columbia Library’s Union Street branch in Kennewick. Of the many gardens there, the formal rose garden is my favorite. When first blooms appear in April or May, the roses always put on their most spectacular displays — and blooming continue all summer. The roses are all labeled so you can decide on your favorite (Mine is the Double Delight).

If you have questions about roses find a master gardener working the roses and ask. They would love to help you!

For more detailed info check out this WSU online publication: “Growing Roses in Washington State: A Seasonal Calendar”

For more information on how to plant roses there is a great publication available from WSU. “Growing Roses in Washington State: Planting Roses.”